So you learned how to use a three level card counting system for blackjack and count a deck of cards in 20 seconds. You can smell an advantage from 50 paces. No good table gets outside your notice.
You go to Caesar's Palace with your bankroll, ready to kill 'em, and sit down, and ten hands later, they tell you to leave. What now?
Casinos spend several millions of dollars a year in surveillance systems and enlist the help of the Griffin Investigations just to nab guys like you who have worked hard to count cards. While counting cards is not illegal, it is enough of a threat to casino profits they will go to any length to protect them.
Here's how it typically works:
It won't be long until you run out of casinos to play in. The only way to survive as a card counter is to use camouflage That means learning how to conceal either your identity (in case Griffin Investigations already knows who you are) or how to conceal that you are counting cards
Concealing your identity means wearing a disguise. I think the information for that is best found elsewhere. We are not experts in how to wear fake beards. As for concealing your play, well that's the sort of camouflage we know. Besides, if you learn how to camouflage card counting in your play at the table, you won't need to worry about disguises. Some of these may sound ridiculous but these are the most popular techniques used by serious professional blackjack card counters.
Casinos hate card counters, but they love progression players. That's because most progressions don't work. Start learning betting progressions and learn how to make your carefully placed bets seem like a betting progression. Start increasing bets when you win, even if the count is bad, likewise, decrease your bets if you lose a hand, even when the count is high. If you are consistent, you will never get caught. This isn't one of the best ways to camouflage card counting, it's the way to camouflage card counting but is immeasurably better than rest, but even if you do it, it might to hurt to mix elements of the other ones in.
This only works if you have a strong tolerance to alcohol. In general, playing gambling games without 100% of your alertness is going to affect your game. However, if the casino is convinced you are a drunk, they aren't likely to suspect you as a card counter. Of course, casinos aren't stupid. If you are counting cards and winning, but acting drunk, the pit boss is going to ask the waitress what you're drinking. So you really have to be drinking. If you want to camouflage card counting using this method, it is suggested you eat a heavy meal before playing, and pretend to be a bit tipsy before you order a drink.
Camouflage means to blend in. Some guys do this well but watching the others around him, and playing like they do. Some of them might be smart players, who follow standard methodology of play, and others might be sloppy and superstitious. It might be easy to camouflage card counting this way, but it's probability the hardest to maintain consistent play.
Are you a good actor? This might work for you if you do. Ask other players what to do, or ask stupid question. Or, perhaps, you could pretend to be a hotshot and offer bad advice to others. You can purposely make common beginner mistakes, like standing on a soft 18 when the dealer is holding an ace. If you are starting to do a little too well, you can lose on purpose, and pass on some good chances to win when the count is good just to be able to stay longer. The easiest way to ruin your chances to camouflage card counting is greed. That's how most of them do get caught.
Learning how to camouflage your card counting may seem a bit over the top, but in the long run its the only way the skill you have acquired will help you at all in the casino. Of course, there are no pit bosses or hidden cameras in online blackjack, but then, there is also no advantage to counting a deck that gets shuffled every hand, as online casinos do.
Andrew Sanders - Managing Editor